The death of a loved one is often a very difficult time. The loss of a loved one, especially under sudden or violent circumstances, may leave many unanswered questions. In addition to the emotional trauma that death brings, survivors must also deal with the practical matters associated with death. People who have been left behind after a tragic incident often want to make sure that they find a way to honour and memorialize the memory of a deceased loved one. There are many ways that a person can honour a deceased loved one’s memory and making sure that you do something to remember your lost family member or friend is an important part of the healing process following their death. Here is some practical advice on how best to honour the memory of a deceased loved one.
What To Do With Their Body
One of the first things that you will need to do when someone close to you dies is find out what their wishes were with regard to dealing with their body. Some people choose to be buried while others prefer cremation, but it’s also possible that your loved one would have preferred organ donation or some other option altogether. Make sure you get in touch with their estate and find out what your loved one wanted done with their body.
If they wanted to be cremated, there are a number of different options on where their ashes could be spread and you will need to make this decision. Also, you’ll need to buy an urn from an urns store to keep the ashes in. If they want to be buried, you will need to purchase the appropriate casket.
Plan A Memorial Service
It is always a good idea to plan a memorial service as this gives people the chance to come together as a community and honour your loved one’s memory. In addition, it can be very cathartic for those who have been left behind to talk about their lost family member or friend and remember all of the things that made them so special. If the service will be taking place in a location that was very important to your loved one, such as in a church they attended for years, consider gifting a memorial plaque to recognize that special connection.
If you are planning a memorial service for a loved one, make sure that the area where the memorial will be held is large enough to accommodate everyone who would like to come. You should also decide whether or not there will be anyone speaking at the event and if so, who they will be. Remember that these people may have been close friends with the deceased, so ask them if they are okay with speaking to the group.
Plant A Tree
If your loved one had an interest in the environment, you could plant a tree that would be native to their home country or even just their favourite type of tree. This way, every time that person looks at the tree they will remember all of the good things about your lost family member or friend. Here’s how to plant a tree:
- Make a list of the deceased’s favourite types of trees.
- Purchase a sapling. Make sure that it is small enough to carry home and plant easily.
- Water the sapling daily for the first month after you have planted it in memory of your lost loved one.
- Place a special marker next to where you have planted the tree.
Create A Memorial Website
Creating a memorial website is an excellent way to pay tribute to your lost loved one. You could include pictures, videos and other mementoes so that others could get an idea of the kind of person who has passed away. After this, you could print out the messages that people have left and keep them in a scrapbook or album.
Make sure you include links to the funeral parlour where your loved one’s body was laid to rest, their obituary, and any other information about them that would be of interest to anyone who enjoyed their company. Set up a guestbook at this website so everyone can leave messages for your lost family member or friend after they have passed away.
Sign Up To A Charity Of Their Choice
If your loved one was involved with a particular charitable organisation, donating money to that charity in their name is an excellent way of remembering them. There are two benefits to this approach: firstly you will be doing some good by helping out the cause that they cared about so much and secondly you will be able to keep in touch with the charity and find out how your donations are being used.
Bestow The Memory Of Your Loved One Upon A Statue
If your lost family member or friend was an important part of a local community, donating a statue in their likeness may be something that they would have wanted to do. For example, a lot of memorial statues have been erected for war heroes and famous figures who were integral to the way that their country operates.
Make sure you choose a statue that would be appropriate, rather than having something made by an artist who is unknown or has little credibility.
Honouring the memory of your loved one is something that will take time and effort, but this article should give you some ideas on how to make the most of their memory. It is important to remember them in a way that you feel comfortable with and isn’t too painful, so only do the things on this list if they feel like they would be right for your situation.
